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Elan: Reign of Catastrophe
'The Prologue' Years ago, the land of Nadir was struck with a deadly epidemic. A disease with a miasmatic force, which killed hundreds and thousands of innocent people with it's putrid air; this was the Black Death. The Black Death was said to have originated from the depths of the Underground Kingdom. Thus, a new practice was adapted, in which Devotees sought to put end to the epidemic. These specialists called themselves: Empirics. They wore masks with beaks, filled of holy fragrance, and cloaks to conceal themselves. The severity of the Black Death was unbearable. Even the Empirics themselves could not withstand the foul wind that blew. Hundreds soon became thousands of victims, and no one could seem to discover a remedy. Nadir felt all hope was lost, until one noble man, by the name of Nostra, imagined a theory to banish the curse. Nostra climbed to the most central peak of Nadir, where he captured the putrid air in an enchanted jar. Before the jar exploded, Nostra retained the epidemic in a special mask, similar to the masks used by the Empirics to survive the plague. The cursed mask was then plummeted deep into the Earth's oblivion. Thus, clarity was seen and alas, the people of Nadir rejoiced, in a bittersweet resolution, to begin rebuilding the population. This marked the new era of peace and prosperity... for years to come. As for Nostra, he passed away in tranquility. As a New Year celebration, the people of Nadir commemorate Nostra’s noble deed to humanity, by wearing masks similar to those of Empirics, while celebrating vitality and abundance. The legend of the Black Death is a legend to be told throughout the ages. True or false? No one is alive to tell the tale, with the exception of what rides on the wind which echoes through the valleys of Nadir. At times, a foul wind arises from the depths of the underground, reminiscent of a dark past, leaving many questions to be answered... The Incident We go to the present day, in the pre-industrialized land of Nadir, where we zoom into a small family in the mountainous village of Cusco. A mother by the name of Yoko, a father by the name of Ken, and a small boy: Anare. They are preparing for a venture to the holy mountain sanctuary of Tufan, through the Hexi Corridor. As the content family makes their way, Yoko begins to receive an ill feeling, which was unexpected, because she did not predict geographical changes before this day. The feeling intensifies, that is when she yells for Ken to run; that is when the mouth of the plateau opens, causing a gash in the landscape. Yoko runs off with Anare, but Ken is swallowed into the depths of the underground. We pan into the lower surface of Nadir, where the Underground Kingdom is introduced. Ken is fallen on the floor, with apparent damage. The soot creatures known as the Fuligo come across him and pull him into the shadows. The Fuligo realize that he has lost most of his memory. A mischievous Fuligo, Atrous, suggests bringing him back to health, and using him to their advantage. One year and several months pass… As time passes Ken begins to remember fragments of his past, although he is unable to piece them together. He feels resentment that he was never found, or found a way out of the Underground Kingdom, and just wishes he could meet this woman and child that he feels so strongly for. Atrous convinces Ken to help him find an artifact he’s been looking for some time now, and they find in the depths of the earth. After breaking through many rocks, they come across a mask, resembling a face with a beak. Atrous gleams with excitement and curiosity, and then puts the mask over his face; he realizes he cannot take it off, and then with overwhelming power, the mask seems to posses his body. Ken looks in shock, as Atrous begins to chuckle, now with a different voice. Atrous asks Ken what his strongest desire is, that’s when Ken is reminded of Anare and Yoko. He responds that he wishes to be together with these two people he always sees in his dreams. Atrous then mentions that he can make his wish come true, if he agrees to help him retrieve the Essence of the Deities. 'The Beginning' Two years since Ken was last seen… An unknown evil surfaces from the depths of Nadir, as the New Year arises; to everyone's surprise, the moon becomes eclipsed, as the village of Cusco is shrouded in darkness. The New Year’s festivities are canceled, and everyone begins to return to their cottage. We see Yoko with her son Anare, who were enjoying the fair, until Yoko receives an unsettling feeling in her stomach; she then tells Anare that they must return home. Short after arriving to their home, Yoko sings a lullaby to Anare and he falls asleep. She then hurries to write a letter under candle-light, and bids her son adieu. Meanwhile, the rain doesn't cease to pour as the arrival of the malignant shadow nears; Yoko makes her way with haste to intercept the evil in its tracks. Upon arriving to the entrance of the Earth Shrine over the peak of Cusco, the evil anomaly makes its appearance and introduces himself as Atrous. With full intention of defending her village, Yoko provokes Atrous, engaging in a dance to the death. According to the overwhelming force of Atrous, Yoko is left no other option but cast an ancient spell, she was once told was never to seep from her lips; Kistvaen, a spell to seal evil away in Earth’s tomb. ]] In the midst of conflict, Yoko’s only son Anare rushes to the scene; he is too late, and comes just in time to witness the death of his mother. The spell takes full effect, instantly crippling Atrous, and engulfing the darkness towards the center of the Earth. Anare faints in devastation and is carried home by an Elder friend of Yoko. In the shrouded darkness, Ken stands by as witness, paralyzed in devastation, fleeing back towards the Underground Kingdom. The next day, Anare discovers a note left by his mother, explaining why she had sacrificed herself, and where he can thrive independently. Distraught and alone, Anare leaves Cusco on a whim, towards the holy mountains of Tufan, where his mother had suggested. Anare sets off far-east to the village, with only the essentials to live. After a long journey through the outskirts of the Hexi Corridor, Anare nears the entrance of Tufan, where he is ambushed by a mob of wild beasts and salvaged from death by a mysterious man. ]] When Anare retains his consciousness, he finds himself in the house of a Pah & Tita, who had generously taken him in. Anare finds that he cannot over-stay his welcome, and is led towards the Temple atop the high mountains of Tufan, where he is accepted by the Monks with open arms; Anare agrees to learn their ways... for years to come. The Resurrection Six years later... As the next eclipse breaks the horizon, Anare feels compelled to pay his respects to Yoko at the Tufan Sanctuary. Upon praying for her, he is abruptly confronted by the spirits of the elemental Deities, where they explain to Anare that the seal of Kistvaen placed upon Atrous has been broken by the dark prince of the Underground Kingdom; the Deities plead Anare to take action, and offer him the resurrection of his mother Yoko, in return. Without any regrets in his heart or mind, Anare then sets off on a timeless journey to put a permanent end to the reign of catastrophe... Meanwhile in the Underground Kingdom... The day Ken has been waiting six painful years for... has finally arrived. With help of the Fuligo, Ken manages to break the seal of Kistvaen doomed upon Atrous, on the day of the new Eclipse. Atrous is brought back from the depths of Earth; he feels weak, without the energy to execute his malignant plans. In result, he orders Ken to initiate organization FAKE, while he recovers. The Fuligo rejoice in the resurrection of Atrous, in hope for Nadir to be soon shrouded in darkness, and united with the Underground Kingdom, as one. The Blossoming Spring awakens, and the adventure continues with Anare heading towards the Wood Shrine, located on Mount Tai. Anare first must cross the Hexi Corridor, an inhospitable terrain with many cliffs. While traveling through the plateau, he can't help but to be reminded of the earthquake which swallowed his father. Out from the cracks he notices dirty fog seeping through, without suspecting a thing. Nearing the small forest village, Anare hears heavy leaves rustling nearby, and to his surprise he sees a feminine looking boy in the distance. They look at each other with mixed emotions, and exchange names from afar. The tree rustling becomes louder and a small fox demon, Kitsune, leaps violently towards Tane; Anare reacts instantly and intercepts the fox's powerful strike. Anare and Tane glance at each other quickly and nod their heads, engaging the Kitsune to a battle. After a decisive fight, they manage to defeat the Kitsune by stealing it's pear-shaped charm. Tane shows his gratuity very strongly and leads Anare to his home village at the basin of Mount Tai. When returning to Tane's hometown, it becomes apparent that a Rouge has ransacked the village seeking the key to enter the Wood Shrine on Mount Tai. Everyone is relieved to see Tane is well, and advise him to climb Mount Tai to protect the shrine. Once they reach the shrine, Tane proceeds to use his grandpa’s charm to open the gates, to make sure no breech had been made. Little does he know, Anise has been following them from a distance. When the gates are opened, she intercepts them both and runs into the shrine, Anare and Tane proceed to chase after her with haste. After a long journey through the Wood Shrine, they reach the azure dragon Ryu's chamber, where Anise had already reached slightly before them. To their surprise, Anise used a foul magic to trap Ryu, leaving Anare and Tane to defend him. Before the team is able to strike the final blow on Anise, she manages to escape, releasing Ryu from hold, and granting Anare with the Wood piece to the Elemental Compass. When Anare and Tane return to the village, they are both praised, and awarded with various goods. Tane announces the current issue that is currently afflicting Nadir with unknown evil, and that he will be leaving until this issue is corrected. Anare realizes that he hasn't felt such happiness that he feels spending time with Tane, in a long time, and they both proceed to the Shilin Karst forest. Meanwhile in the Underground Kingdom... Anise reports to Ken, advising him that there are two abstractions in their way, a boy with a scarlet sash and a boy with a bloody cape. Ken threatens her by the neck, warning her that this failed mission will not go unseen, and then dismisses her. 'The Mystery' Anare and Tane can't help but to wonder where Anise came from, and what other perils they should be expecting in the near future. It is clear to both of them that they must proceed to the next shrine, the Water Shrine located on the outskirts of Port Monoco. In order to reach the south coast they must travel through the Shilin Karst and down the Aconcagua River. Tane warns Anare that there have been many reports of Bandits, stealing goods and killing the innocent. As the night-time falls Anare and Tane hear loud noises and bright lights arising from nearby. With generous suspicion they make their way over, only to notice that the Sani, people of the forest are celebrating the new eclipse through bearing torches and dancing. Both Anare and Tane decide to join the festivities but are soon interrupted by a group of bandits threatening the people of the forest for their prosperity. Anare can't help but to interfere and put an end to the injustice, and a battle is ignited, surrounded by the bright torches. Upon defeating the group of Bandits, you discover that they are related to Anise, and that she has joined a conspiracy group by the name of FAKE, led by ‘’a man in black’’. The Sani show their gratitude and give Anare and Tane their blessings, and as dusk turns to day they make their way out of Shilin Karst forest headed towards the Aconcagua River. Meanwhile in the Underground Kingdom… Ken and Baba are playing a symbolic game of chess, as they discuss the next mission. 'The Expedition' The expedition continues at the basin of the Aconcagua River, where Anare and Tane encounter the people known as the Machi. The Machi tell stories of a witch, known as Kalku who stirs the river, causing whirlpools and floods, causing many deaths recently. Anare agrees to aid the Machi by finding Kalku and putting an end to the violent waters, in exchange for guiding them to the entrance of Port Monoco. Eventually, they find the witch known as Kalku, and realize that he is not the one causing disturbances in the waters; Kalku is hiding away from the Machi because of the threats put upon him. Kalku then tells you his speculation of the disasters: a ferocious creature who was once harmless has gone feral, a creature known as the Guirivilo. It used to roam the rivers innocently but has now been causing these hazards. Kalku then mentions that there is only one way to calm the beast; to not fear the whirlpool, and threaten the beast with the enchanted knife: Cuchillo. He then hands Anare the knife and gives his blessing. Upon trying to cross the river, a large whirlpool begins to spawn. Anare and Tane hesitate for one second and soon dive right into it. With much surprise, they notice that they are no longer under in the water but in an underwater grotto, where the river-dwelling creature Guirivilo is encountered. A suffocating match with Guirivilo is fought, ending with Tane slashing the creature with the enchanted knife, leaving its claw-like tail squirming on the floor. Anare and Tane make their exit out from the grotto, onto land where they find the Machi standing outside waiting to receive them for a victory celebration. Tane stops everyone from rejoicing for one second and announces that they did not slay the witch Kalku, but a creature, that had been driven to insanity by a force beyond any powers of a witch. Tane asks for nothing else in return, aside from living in peace with Kalku, with reason he gave them the enchanted knife, in the name of justice. The Machi agree to Tane's requests and point them in the direction to their next destination: Port Monoco. The Enlightenment Alas the boys reach Port Monoco, where the Water Shrine is said to have been located. Anare and Tane have no clue where to start looking for it, so they decide to split up and roam the town for answers. Anare finds out that they will need to travel to Pinnacle Rock by sea, and Tane finds out that they will need to find the one who possesses the key to the shrine in order to enter. After searching all day, Anare and Tane bump into each other at the church, where they meet the Priest of the port. Once he listens to Anare's story he explains that his daughter holds the key to the shrine, and then to visit his wife, because Mimi might be there. Upon entering the house, it seems that the Priest's wife already knows of Anare and Tane. She tells them that Mimi went to go collect shells at the shore, and to be wary of the Corsair, then hands Anare tickets to ride the ferry to Pinnacle Rock. When arriving to the shore they see a frantic little girl with ghostly violet hair, running up and down, through the waves. Anare and Tane approach her and ask her what she might be doing, being so frantic; she replies that she had lost her beautiful star-shaped pendant. Anare looks at Tane questionably and then he asks her if she is Mimi, the one that holds the key to the shrine. Mimi instantly goes into offense mode and remarks that she has no reason to tell them such a thing. Tane tries to calm her down by explaining that they had already met her father and mother, and that Nadir is in danger. Mimi then agrees to open the shrine if they help her find the pendant. In the process of seeking the pendant, Anare is pulled deep into the water by Kappa; a mischievousness sprite of the dangerous waters. Mimi and Tane dive in after him, resulting in a breath-taking brawl. Mimi spots the pendant on the neck of Kappa, and rips it off his neck. In blind range the Kappa follows them to the surface of the water and to the shore. In a standoff, Anare then bows politely to the Kappa, in result, Kappa bows in response which results into him admitting defeat and offering his shell to Anare. Mimi then begins to thank Anare and Tane infinitely for what they have helped her recover, when abruptly gunshots and explosions are heard in the distance. The party hops into the ferry to make a return to the port. When arriving to the port is when they encounter a Corsair by the name of Baba, leading his troops into the town. Mimi yells at him, remarking why he would have such a heart to harm innocent people; Baba responds by telling her if the key to the shrine was his he wouldn't even be bothering with such scum. Anare realizes that Mimi is about to throw the pendant at his skull, he grabs her hand and tells her that they must fight. Baba then notices the pendant in her hand and engages them to battle on deck. He manages to steal the pendant from Mimi in the midst of battle, knocking the party into the water, and fleeing to the Water Shrine. Anare, Tane, and Mimi then hop into the ferry and follow with haste. When arriving to the Water Shrine, you notice that the cave entrance is revealed, and Baba's ship on shore. Once reaching Genbu's lair, Anare realizes that Baba had just arrived and possessed Genbu with the same foul magic Anise used earlier on Ryu. Baba reveals that this magic is the power reminiscent of the curse in legends, and that only mercenaries of the prince of darkness had access to. As Baba attempts to retrieve the Water piece of the Elemental Compass, Anare, Tane, and Mimi battle Genbu and bring him back to consciousness. The final showdown between the party ends with Baba admitting defeat and disappearing into the mist, dropping the pendant. Genbu then grants Anare the Water piece of the Elemental Compass, and then shows them a shortcut out. Upon returning to the port, everyone welcomes the heroes with prayers. Mimi expresses to everyone that she is eternally grateful to Anare and Tane, considering them to be a blessing from the heavens; she decides to join them on their quest to end the catastrophe bestowed upon Nadir. Mimi's parent's bid her farewell and direct Anare through the valley and ruins to Istanbul, where they can find more information about the Metal Shrine. The Meddling The wonderful landscape of Arcadia was enough to give everyone a breath of fresh air. Although, Anare can't help but to wonder who the prince of darkness''might be. The party continues to make their way to Cappadocia, when near a marsh, they hear a sad sound of wind echo through the valley. Upon approaching a bunch of reeds, an interesting creature with legs of a faun appears. The creature lays his eyes on Mimi, and yells "Syrinx! You're alive!"; Mimi turns pale in shock. Tane tells him that her name is Mimi, not ''Syrinx, and that he must be out of his mind. The creature appears to be delusional and begins to chase Mimi through the marsh, Anare and Tane follow with haste. The party runs out of breath and the creature, Pan, grabs a hold of Mimi and begins to grope her. Tane becomes extremely flustered and Anare full of rage, and so commences the battle. A short fight blows by like the wind and Pan drops his flute in defeat. Anare and Tane can't help but to notice that all the sprites around Nadir have become delusional, similar to how Kitsune and Kappa reacted under the sorcery of FAKE. The party makes their way past the lush pasture into Cappadocia. The Excavation On the border of Arcadia and Cappadocia the party encounters a small hut, where they find out they are permitted to stay and rest. An old man tells a story about the Tengu and their leader, how they should tread Cappadocia's coast with caution and not sleep until they reach the next city: Istanbul. Upon reaching a point within the coastal ruins, Tane spots what looks like to be a demon with a mask on, from afar. The masked demon glances over at Tane and lunges into the shadows. Tane informs Anare and Mimi of what he saw and warns them that he is probably the leader of the Tengu, meaning that he can command them at will. Throughout the ruins the party finds relics of a city that used to be, it seems an area that suffered extremely from the Black Death, as legends told. Anare realizes that the plague was sealed into a mask. He wonders if that man in shadows Tane had saw, was wearing that mask... Nearing the last mountain before Istanbul what seems to be a giant bird begins to soar over the heads of Anare, Tane, and Mimi. Soon after a gang of what seem to be Tengu, charge at them. The giant bird flutters down in front of the party and turns out to be the leader of the Tengu, Sojobo. Tane questions his authority and mentions the man he saw; Sojobo replies with saying that he is no longer the leader of the Tengu, but Mica's main henchman. A fight between the Tengu is initiated, and once won, Sojobo's mask drops to the floor. The party continues into Istanbul with haste, realizing that Mica is a mercenary of FAKE, and that he is up to no good... The Extravagance When entering Istanbul, there appears to be a magnificent festival taking place throughout the city. Through crowds of people Tane spots the man in the mask that he saw in the ruins of Cappadocia, he pushes through the crowd until he is no longer visible. The party gets caught up with the festivities and looses track of their current mission, now paying attention to the extravagant parade presented in front of them. Anare becomes a bit disturbed by everything; it reminds him of the festival in Cusco before his mom was murdered by Atrous; although this day was quite the opposite. The last performance in the parade featured the heir to the throne; she seemed to specialize in the art of Wushu. She twirled and spun her blades, adorned with ribbon, graceful, but sharp. After an elegant finale and applause, they proceed to approach her, inquiring if she is familiar with the royalty of Istanbul. They explain to her that there is a matter of utter importance that must be expressed to the Magistrate, before it’s too late. With that being said, Anake introduces herself and shows her respects by inviting them to the palace. Hours pass, explaining the previous chain of events and the magistrate become mortified. Anake speaks up to say that she will stand post at the Metal Shrine until every last enemy is vanquished. The Magistrate opposes her reckless idea and insists on hiring Anare & company to accompany her, but before they have a chance to accept, Anake runs off. The Magistrate inform the party that they must exit north and travel through the Himalayas lowlands until they reach the border of the mountains. Anake has never been to the Metal Shrine and has only heard of it; therefore they will probably run into her on the way. The empress gives Anare half of the gold in advanced so that they are equipped properly when traveling through the mountains. With that being said, Anare & company rush towards the Himalayas with haste! The Temptation The lowlands forest of the Himalayas is abundant with thickets of trees and bamboo, a maze to any outsider that dares to step foot inside. Tane recalls a tale his grandfather had told him long ago, of an adventurer who followed the Ashoka trees until he reached the biggest one in the forest. This is where a forest sprite, Yaksis, would show him the way to the basin of the mountains. The party follow the trees until they reach the most beautiful Ashoka tree in the forest. In the distance, they see a gorgeous maiden who resembles Anake, with her back turned. Anare yells for Anake, until the woman turns around and appears to not be Anake, but a beauty nonetheless. Anare and Tane are shocked by her appearance, but Mimi is not impressed. Yaksis begins to make welcoming motions towards the party; the boys begin to move towards her, until Mimi yells that she is not the Yaksis that Tane described in the tale. Like all the other sprites they have encountered, she is too under the influence of the foul stench. All of a sudden the graceful maiden Yaksis threatens to leech the blood from their bodies; this is when they have no other option but to fight her. Tane realizes that without her help they cannot make it to the mountain, which is when Mimi uses her powers to purge the foul spirits from the body of Yaksis. She regains consciousness and apologizes that she attempted murder; the last thing she could remember was helping a lost young man with a mask. Anare realizes that it must have been Mica. Yaksis provides Anare with the most beautiful flower of the Ashoka tree and mentions that she will be with them in spirit. The trees light the way to the basin of the mountains as the party continues their journey to the Himalayas peak. Upon reaching the entrance to the Himalayas, Anake comes running out of the forest, catching up to the party. She said she heard loud noises rustling on her way here, and asks if it was Mica. Anare tells her that Mica had possessed Yaksis, who attempted to suck the life out of them. Anake becomes filled with rage and screams in frustration. Anare offers to help Anake, and after spilling her concerns, she decides to join them until the problem is solved and will decide what path to take after defeating Mica. So begins the trek up through the cold mountains. Further into the mountains the party reaches a blizzard storm where they spot a beautiful boy in the distance, with skin white as snow, lips blue as ice, and hair black as coal. He gazes at the party and everyone is struck with terror, but are strangely still mesmerized by him. He approaches Anare & company, asking them to follow if they need help crossing the blizzard to the Metal Shrine, so they follow. He leads everyone to a cave where he sits everyone down and begins to flirt with Mimi. Anake and Tane become extremely jealous, but as soon as he kisses Mimi on the lips she turns into ice. He asks if anyone else wants a kiss with a devious smile, and that is when Anare realizes that he led them here to die. He then kisses Tane and turns him to ice; that is when Anare snaps out of it, turning around and telling Anake to put her blindfold on. Anare realizes that Mimi cannot exorcise this sprite because she is frozen, so they must fight to the death. The terrorized battle ends with Yuki dissipating into a cold mist, leaving his glacier print sash on the floor. Anare then melts Mimi and Tane back to regular temperature, leaving them quite dazed. The blizzard had lifted, so they continue to make their way to the shrine grounds, now being able to see it in the distance. At the entrance of the Metal Shrine, the party runs into Mica, trying to find a way to enter the shrine. Anake states that he will never get into the shrine because he will never find the key. He assumes she has the key so he charges at her with full force. Mica doesn't stand a chance with four against one; he is brought to his final whim and questioned by the party about who the prince of darkness is and who exactly is behind all of this. He replies that the mercenaries are just henchmen of Ken, the prince of darkness, which works exclusively for Atrous. Mica then shrouds himself in darkness and escapes. Using Anake's spindle charm, she opens the doors to the Metal Shrine, where at the end Byako gives them the Metal piece to the Elemental Compass. From there Byako instructs Anare to travel through the southern cave to until they reach the Cyclades crossing to Pompeii. The Uprising